biggest challenge essay

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AO2010

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I wanted to get some people’s opinion on the biggest challenge essay question. I am thinking about writing about learning how to succeed academically with ADD. Without going into too much detail I’ll give you some more background info. I had a therapist suggest I get tested for it my freshman year, I was stubborn and didn’t want to think that I had it. After struggling to get a 3.0 my freshman and sophomore year and missing a midterm because I was so scatterbrained/forgetful I finally went to a psychiatrist and got test for it.


I started taking meds and also had some very big lifestyle changes to help cope with it. I learned how to be more organized and manage my time better, gained a lot of self-discipline and self-awareness, and learned how to manage stress better. I also learned the importance of consistent exercise and getting enough sleep. I lost about 50lbs. Lastly I learned how to balance my work, personal life, exercise, and sleep schedule. The effects of all of this were huge and you can see it on my transcripts. My freshman and sophomore year average was about a 3.0, junior year (when all this happened) 3.7, and senior year 3.98. So I am sure it is something that will get brought up in an interview.



I am just wondering if writing about academics is too cliché. I know a lot of applicants have probably had to make some similar changes. Also I am still a little unsure about mentioning my ADD. I don’t feel like it holds me back anymore or that it is a weakness. But I’m not sure how others will perceive it.
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ADD is a pretty common story. I've seen countless threads in different website forums, asking if using ADD was a good excuse for grades/lack of EC's/Etc.

If you feel like your ADD story really shows who you are by revealing all your deep, hidden emotions and hopes for the future and other inspirational whatnot AND you can make it stand out from the countless other ADD stories, then go for it.

If this is a generic ADD/Overcame challenges story, I would:

1) Continue working on developing it and digging deeper into it to try and craft a truly vivid, revealing, but inspirational story from it

OR

2) Just drop the ADD story and find something else, if available.
 
A few secondaries explicitly said to talk about your coping mechanisms (e.g. who you relied on for help, etc.) in their "biggest challenge" essay. It's great that these drugs helped you improve in so many ways, but you might want to focus a bit more on who's in your support system and how they helped you overcome these problems. I would also try to focus more on the non-academic gains you made without sounding like you suffered from depression before getting these meds. And don't focus too much on your stubbornness to seek help, forgetfulness and scatterbrain-ness as these qualities reflect poorly on you.

I believe that the point of this particular essay question is to convince them that when hardships occur in med school, you'll actively deal with these problems and not just adopt a "wait and hope it goes away" approach. Also, you don't necessarily need to write about a dramatic or life-changing event for these essays. I think I wrote about my experiences moving away from home for one of them.. +pity+yeah..
 
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I almost died once, but a lifeguard saved me.

It was a pretty traumatic experience.
 
In Fall 2011, I had a baby October 17, went back to classes October 24, and found out my dad died on October 26. I was readmitted to the hospital two days after that with serious post-delivery complications. I took 16 hours of challenging classes (ie, biochem) that semester, and finished out with a 4.0gpa.

That's the most challenging situation I've ever faced. It's 100% true and verifiable.

My point is not to brag, or start some kind of "most challenging situation" contest. My point is this: your most challenging situation essay is going to be compared to the essays of people who have been through some of the most harrowing, life altering experiences imaginable. I hate the internet, because things get lost in translation. So, please believe me when I tell you that my intent is to be kind and empathetic when I say this:

Do you really want your story of ADD to be read after my story of life, death, and incredible adversity? That experience was so horrible that my therapist was in tears.

This prompt is something of a red herring. The point isn't really to find out about your most challenging experience. It's to gauge your maturity. In other words, it's a round-a-bout way of assessing what you've faced in life, and how it's prepared you to deal with the physical and emotional stress of being a doctor.

I haven't spent a lot of time here, and have only generally perused postings/topics for general information on topics of interest to me. For the overwhelming majority of students on this forum, I'd say the most difficult challenge they are facing right now is reconciling their desire to be the ultimate medical school applicant with the fact that we are all mere mortals. Most students here seem to be facing a serious identity crisis when it comes to separating their own self-worth, interests, and inspirations from what they perceive a medical school admissions committee will want them to be. And you're trying to do all of that while you're 18-24 years old--while the sense of self is still quite fragile for most, and during the time period when most people are just beginning to figure out who they really are. If it's not obvious already, medical school admissions can really throw a wrench into that process (lol!). :)

Ergo, I'd strongly consider writing an essay about trying to reconcile the need to be a competitive medical school applicant with the need to be true to yourself. You may never become a doctor, but you'll always be yourself.
 
ccrone said:
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That's the most challenging situation I've ever faced. It's 100% true and verifiable.

My point is not to brag, or start some kind of "most challenging situation" contest. My point is this: your most challenging situation essay is going to be compared to the essays of people who have been through some of the most harrowing, life altering experiences imaginable. I hate the internet, because things get lost in translation. So, please believe me when I tell you that my intent is to be kind and empathetic when I say this:

Do you really want your story of ADD to be read after my story of life, death, and incredible adversity? That experience was so horrible that my therapist was in tears..
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The adversity essay is not a pissing contest to find and admit the people who have had the most hard luck. It is meant for students to show what coping skills they muster when dealing with a problem. You can be sure that problems will arise in medical school and adcoms would like to select students who are resiliant and who have healthy coping mechanisms.
 
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LizzyM said:
The adversity essay is not a pissing contest to find and admit the people who have had the most hard luck. It is meant for students to show what coping skills they muster when dealing with a problem. You can be sure that problems will arise in medical school and adcoms would like to select students who are resiliant and who have healthy coping mechanisms.
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I was trying to get across what LizzyM just said, but clearly did a lousy job. My sincere apology to anyone who bristled at my post. That was not my intent at all. Thanks so much for getting my point across better than I did.
 
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ccrone said:
Do you really want your story of ADD to be read after my story of life, death, and incredible adversity? That experience was so horrible that my therapist was in tears.
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Not everyone has had the "opportunity" to face great adversity.
 
circulus vitios said:
Not everyone has had the "opportunity" to face great adversity.
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Again, I am very sorry for having framed my post in a suboptimal manner. I feel badly about it.

I do think that everyone faces adversity--even great adversity. In life, we're all shaped by our experiences, both good and bad; for better or for worse. I'd argue that those who seem to have never experienced anything remotely difficult face adversity that is quite serious. Look at the Mitt Romneys of the word: he's running for President, and his greatest adversity is his utter lack of adversity. The dude can't relate to us mere mortals. At. All.

Note: this is not political at all. Honestly. Mitt Romney is just the poster child for complete lack of adversity. :laugh:

The flip side of this is that facing major adversity (and overcoming it) can make one quite cocky. Consider me Exhibit 'A'. :rolleyes:
 
I'd say mitt Romney had a few challenges growing up. Once he went on vacation but by the time they were done loading the car there was no room left for the dog! Woe was he, until he had a stroke of pure genius.. .

Couldn't resist :)
 
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pre med 2014 said:
what is the biggest challenge essay? Is that a part of secondaries? Is it a question every medical school asks?
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It's part of some schools' secondaries, but not all. It pretty much just "asks"/forces you to write about a challenging or difficult situation you've been in and how you've dealt with it. There are variations on this question, e.g. name an ethical situation you've been in that doesn't involve cheating in an academic setting (I believe this was from Pittsburgh or OSU, if memory serves me correctly), etc.
 
I have ADD and I have to say it honestly has been one of my greatest challenges, and I've been through my fair share. I'm sharing this to help the OP realize that the strength to overcome it and persevere is not run of the mill.

The thing that I think many people don't recognize is what living with ADD is really like, and that it can be an all consuming and lifelong problem if not properly managed (which takes a lot of dedication, practice, and energy). You can make the issues less pronounced, but never fully get rid of them. I finally came to terms with it after several years of college, and I was diagnosed in my very early childhood. I didn't want to be a doctor until recently, and didnt care about my grades so I never addressed my problem. Once I accepted it I had to re learn how to do many, many things. Initally I couldn't take tests or quizzes without earplugs in a quiet room, and when not available it was a constant stress of distraction, any visual things out of place, an open window during the exam, the blinds pulled back exposing a pretty view, breathing, any sneeze cough or squeak would mess up my concentration 100% and I would have to start over. My ADD was pretty bad, and having to work past that and push onwards was hard, especially when so many people dismiss the issues. I constantly had to stress about sitting as far from anyone as possible because of the distraction, and also was ridiculed immensely both to my face and behind my back by a professor, peers, and even people who called themselves my friends when I would request a quiet room to take my exam in. I would walk into class and people would stop talking and glare at me and make snide remarks saying if i did well it was because I had an individual room, or that I was faking the ADD (best one yet and happens all the time if people see my professor and I filling out the paperwork: "you're so lucky, I wish I had ADD so I could get a private room"). Aside from that there's always the insecurity that you will always feel because so many people say you won't make a good doctor because of your ADD, and the constant struggle to make yourself into a student that can take the test and keep the concentration balancing act and not slip up. It's a ton of work, but doable and worth it. I've invested a lot into minimizing my symptoms, and I have a schedule where I do homework assignments in the library with no earplugs and take mock tests to try and get some control over It. It's working much better now but it's a massive stress and constant feelings of inadequacy are present. I know it will never fully go away but with extra practice I can overcome it. With practice I've discovered that I'm a real stickler for detail, as long as I can keep myself focused on it long enough, and I'm getting to be much happier. :)

I'm not trying to start a pity party or pissing contest, but my point is that if someone has ADD its a real challenge to overcome and people who have ADD wouldn't be doing themselves justice by omitting it simply because many people have this problem. I believe if youre completely honest with your essay it will be appropriate and not run of the mill because it shows perseverance and strength.

Alright, end of rant on my part. Good luck OP! Thanks to anyone who listened! :)
 
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I had a few "general" adversity questions and one that asked me specifically about coping mechanisms. I chose a medical thing that caused me to miss school but in all of those essays I focused more on coping mechanisms. One of the schools I interviewed with specifically asked me about the essay and asked me to elaborate more on my coping skills and support network. I agree that the point is to find students who are resilient, able to cope with stress, and going to be proactive about getting help in med school if they need it. I think you'd be fine talking about your ADD if you focused on your support network and the skills you used to overcome/live with your diagnosis, and what you learned from the experience. You don't need to be elaborate about the diagnosis or focus on how you were reluctant to get help at first.
 
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hmockingbird said:
I had a few "general" adversity questions and one that asked me specifically about coping mechanisms. I chose a medical thing that caused me to miss school but in all of those essays I focused more on coping mechanisms. One of the schools I interviewed with specifically asked me about the essay and asked me to elaborate more on my coping skills and support network. I agree that the point is to find students who are resilient, able to cope with stress, and going to be proactive about getting help in med school if they need it. I think you'd be fine talking about your ADD if you focused on your support network and the skills you used to overcome/live with your diagnosis, and what you learned from the experience. You don't need to be elaborate about the diagnosis or focus on how you were reluctant to get help at first.
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Agreed and great points. OP You can use this experience in the positive and show your resilience, good luck!
 
Thank you for all of the constructive advice! Here is a rough outline of what I am thinking. What do you think? Anything I should add or remove?
· Intro
.o .Diagnosis junior year. Don’t give too much detail, focus on positives
.o .Educated myself on ADD and ways to cope
.o .Decided to take medication to help
​
· Copping skills learned
.o .Exercise, sleep, healthy lifestyle
.o .Regular schedule, structure
.o .Set reminders
.o .Positive thinking
.o .Self-discipline
.o .Self-awareness
​
· Support network
.o .Parents
.o .Advisor
.o .Maintaining social life and friends
.o .Professors when need help in classes
​
· Skills learned coping with ADD good overall life skills and can be applied to many other situations
 
I was gonna write something about my experience with living with ADHD, but got distracted.

I am curious why you call it ADD and not ADHD. The (DSM-IV) groups all 3 subtypes under "ADHD".

I dont think these are exactly "coping skills".
".o .Exercise, sleep, healthy lifestyle
.o .Regular schedule, structure
.o .Set reminders
.o .Positive thinking
.o .Self-discipline
.o .Self-awareness "
 
I've been extremely fortunate to not have had any exceptional challenges during my college years. Not even anything worth mentioning, really. Knock on wood! The only thing I can think of happened during high school and is embarrassingly not major either. I was devastated not making the varsity basketball team when I really deserved to. I worked even harder that summer and got bigger, etc and the coach noticed and I was moved up. Is this worth a shot? I just cannot think of anything else. My mother got ill when I was 12, but I feel that's too young to be worth mentioning as how I dealt with the illness at that time. What do you all think?
 
no beans said:
I've been extremely fortunate to not have had any exceptional challenges during my college years. Not even anything worth mentioning, really. Knock on wood! The only thing I can think of happened during high school and is embarrassingly not major either. I was devastated not making the varsity basketball team when I really deserved to. I worked even harder that summer and got bigger, etc and the coach noticed and I was moved up. Is this worth a shot? I just cannot think of anything else. My mother got ill when I was 12, but I feel that's too young to be worth mentioning as how I dealt with the illness at that time. What do you all think?
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thlaxer said:
Also, you don't necessarily need to write about a dramatic or life-changing event for these essays. I think I wrote about my experiences moving away from home for one of them.. +pity+yeah..
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I would avoid language like "when I really deserved to" on the actual thing. Just write about an situation that shows your coping mechanisms. As mentioned, it doesn't need to be something big. I also said something along the lines of 'I have been very fortunate to not have had many truly exceptional challenges thus far, when a difficult situation does arise in the future though, I will be sure to rely on my friends, family and mentors for advice and support.' That worked fine.
 
I thought of another topic that might work well for this. About a month ago I had to get an HIV test for a visa application. So I went to Planned Parenthood just like I did that last time I had to get one for a visa. They have tests where they just give you a finger stick and take a few drops of blood. It gives results in about 20-30 minutes.

The problem with these tests is that they give an occasional false positive, and I happen to be the one who got it. They said that this test was inconclusive if it was positive and I needed some more tests that where more accurate. So they took a blood sample and said it would take a week for the results to come back.

I hadn’t engaged in any risky behavior that would expose me to HIV, and I knew that the test results needed to be verified with a more accurate test. But nonetheless sometimes bad things happen to good people, maybe there was just something I was forgetting about? It’s a pretty bad possibility to have hanging out in your head for a week. It gets even better. They call me 6 days after the test to come in and get my results. Someone comes and gets me and takes me back to the regional manager’s office. She comes in and starts her sentence off with “I hate to be the one to tell you this” but someone at the lab made a mistake with your test and we have to draw more blood and have another one done. So after they did a couple different tests to verify that the first one was indeed a false positive they gave me the results.

I’m not sure if I would say this was my biggest challenge ever. But it was 8 pretty stressful and psychologically taxing days that I felt like I handed fairly well. I read about people who committed suicide after getting a positive on one of these test and turns out to be a false positive. Can’t say that I was suicidal or anywhere even close to it. But it was difficult because I had stay thinking positive knowing that I hadn’t done anything to get HIV, while at the same time preparing for the possibility I might actually have it.

.Can I get some opinions about what people think of using this on my essay?
.
 
Sorry to hijack but figured I might as well ask if my challenge story is appropriate.

I was thinking about writing about my fitness. I was 100 lbs in HS at 5 ft 7 inches (helllllla scrawny) and spent hours upon hours on researching, lifting, and eating. I ate 5,000 calories a day (extremely hard for a guy my size) by drinking 1 gal of milk a day + full food. I would carry a half gallon of milk to school with me and finish it by the end of the school day along with 2-3 meals. Then once I got home I would repeat. I even took olive oil shots a couple of times (500 cal/shot, good for heart etc... (threw up on this one though so I stopped). It was a tough journey, but 3 years later I weigh 160 lbs and am confident in myself. This was my biggest challenge except for school (I was a bad student in HS so i went to community college. I couldn't get classes so I went to 3 different colleges at a time taking 18 units minimum so I could still transfer out in 2 years ( I even almost did it in 1!)
 
AO2010 said:
I thought of another topic that might work well for this. About a month ago I had to get an HIV test for a visa application. So I went to Planned Parenthood just like I did that last time I had to get one for a visa. They have tests where they just give you a finger stick and take a few drops of blood. It gives results in about 20-30 minutes.

The problem with these tests is that they give an occasional false positive, and I happen to be the one who got it. They said that this test was inconclusive if it was positive and I needed some more tests that where more accurate. So they took a blood sample and said it would take a week for the results to come back.

I hadn’t engaged in any risky behavior that would expose me to HIV, and I knew that the test results needed to be verified with a more accurate test. But nonetheless sometimes bad things happen to good people, maybe there was just something I was forgetting about? It’s a pretty bad possibility to have hanging out in your head for a week. It gets even better. They call me 6 days after the test to come in and get my results. Someone comes and gets me and takes me back to the regional manager’s office. She comes in and starts her sentence off with “I hate to be the one to tell you this” but someone at the lab made a mistake with your test and we have to draw more blood and have another one done. So after they did a couple different tests to verify that the first one was indeed a false positive they gave me the results.

I’m not sure if I would say this was my biggest challenge ever. But it was 8 pretty stressful and psychologically taxing days that I felt like I handed fairly well. I read about people who committed suicide after getting a positive on one of these test and turns out to be a false positive. Can’t say that I was suicidal or anywhere even close to it. But it was difficult because I had stay thinking positive knowing that I hadn’t done anything to get HIV, while at the same time preparing for the possibility I might actually have it.

.Can I get some opinions about what people think of using this on my essay?
.
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It depends on the prompt but if you are being asked how you coped with a difficult situation, then you have not answered the question. In your story you are the object rather than the subject of all the action.
 
nabilesmail said:
Sorry to hijack but figured I might as well ask if my challenge story is appropriate.

I was thinking about writing about my fitness. I was 100 lbs in HS at 5 ft 7 inches (helllllla scrawny) and spent hours upon hours on researching, lifting, and eating. I ate 5,000 calories a day (extremely hard for a guy my size) by drinking 1 gal of milk a day + full food. I would carry a half gallon of milk to school with me and finish it by the end of the school day along with 2-3 meals. Then once I got home I would repeat. I even took olive oil shots a couple of times (500 cal/shot, good for heart etc... (threw up on this one though so I stopped). It was a tough journey, but 3 years later I weigh 160 lbs and am confident in myself. This was my biggest challenge except for school (I was a bad student in HS so i went to community college. I couldn't get classes so I went to 3 different colleges at a time taking 18 units minimum so I could still transfer out in 2 years ( I even almost did it in 1!)
Click to expand...

So your problem was that you were an adolescent 100 pound weakling and by stuffing yourself full of food and beverages, as well as physical activity, you gained 60 pounds while in HS. Do you have something more recent that demonstrates your emotional and mental stregth to deal with difficulties?
 
PingPongPro said:
I was gonna write something about my experience with living with ADHD, but got distracted.

I am curious why you call it ADD and not ADHD. The (DSM-IV) groups all 3 subtypes under "ADHD".

I dont think these are exactly "coping skills".
".o .Exercise, sleep, healthy lifestyle
.o .Regular schedule, structure
.o .Set reminders
.o .Positive thinking
.o .Self-discipline
.o .Self-awareness "
Click to expand...

A lack of hyperactivity? It's like comparing depression to bipolar disorder, both are etiologically and biologically different things.
 
serenade said:
A lack of hyperactivity? It's like comparing depression to bipolar disorder, both are etiologically and biologically different things.
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To my understanding all three are considered ADHD therefore ADD is actually classified under ADHD. It doesn't mean someone with ADD is hyperactive
 
LizzyM said:
So your problem was that you were an adolescent 100 pound weakling and by stuffing yourself full of food and beverages, as well as physical activity, you gained 60 pounds while in HS. Do you have something more recent that demonstrates your emotional and mental stregth to deal with difficulties?
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Well not just HS, Pretty much these last 3-4 years. I went from 100 to 130 in HS and 130 to 160ish through college (weight training+ diet). Unfortunately, besides this and school (as I mentioned in my previous post) and getting my girlfriend ( :p). I don't feel like I have gone through any extraordinary challenge. The weight training thing was just my personal achievement and goal, the gain of self-confidence, the amount of research I did, the 5-8 meals a day that I had to force myself to eat. Was tough stuff!
 
Coping skills, people!

Think short term challenges or difficulties.

Have you ever had your mode of transportation (car, bike, knees) break down and need to scramble to do get things fixed and get around to places you needed to be?

Have you been the object of a pickpocket and need to replace all your ID's? How did you prioritize and get through it. Double points if it happened in a country where you don't speak the language. ;)

Ever have a very difficult roommate situation? (I knew someone when I was in school who had a roommate who insisted on sleeping with all the lights on!)

Ever have a friend who needed but refused to seek care for a physical or psychiatric problem? What coping skills did you use to deal with the situation?

Ever get a phone call that a loved one was in the ICU? What coping skills did you use to get through the next few days/weeks?
 
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LizzyM said:
Coping skills, people!

Think short term challenges or difficulties.

Have you ever had your mode of transportation (car, bike, knees) break down and need to scramble to do get things fixed and get around to places you needed to be?

Have you been the object of a pickpocket and need to replace all your ID's? How did you prioritize and get through it. Double points if it happened in a country where you don't speak the language. ;)

Ever have a very difficult roommate situation? (I knew someone when I was in school who had a roommate who insisted on sleeping with all the lights on!)

Ever have a friend who needed but refused to seek care for a physical or psychiatric problem? What coping skills did you use to deal with the situation?

Ever get a phone call that a loved one was in the ICU? What coping skills did you use to get through the next few days/weeks?
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So your point is this essay is used to find out more about applicants rather than differentiate between them?
 
dmf2682 said:
So your point is this essay is used to find out more about applicants rather than differentiate between them?
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How do you roll with the punches? You are going to get knocked down in medical school. What are your coping skills? Do you go in your room, close the door and cry? Do you complain to your roommate? Do you call your parents and ask them to make things better? How do you solve your problems? Inquiring minds want to know.
 
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LizzyM said:
Coping skills, people!

Think short term challenges or difficulties.

Have you ever had your mode of transportation (car, bike, knees) break down and need to scramble to do get things fixed and get around to places you needed to be?

Have you been the object of a pickpocket and need to replace all your ID's? How did you prioritize and get through it. Double points if it happened in a country where you don't speak the language. ;)

Ever have a very difficult roommate situation? (I knew someone when I was in school who had a roommate who insisted on sleeping with all the lights on!)

Ever have a friend who needed but refused to seek care for a physical or psychiatric problem? What coping skills did you use to deal with the situation?

Ever get a phone call that a loved one was in the ICU? What coping skills did you use to get through the next few days/weeks?
Click to expand...

Im so glad that you posted this, I always thought of it as long term difficulties, never short term. Could you use several examples if they are short examples? What about if they were as a result of our irresponsibility, is it okay to use that example as long as we show that we made it right and coped?

I'm thinking specifically when I turned 18 I spent a month backpacking through Europe with my friend, and the second month I was going to stay with my then boyfriend who was an exchange student in a certain non english speaking European country. A week into my month stay we got into a huge fight and he became very aggressive so I dumped a majority of my belongings in a dumpster, took what I could easily carry, got on a train, and left. I then spent the next week in a city on the opposite side of the country, walked people's dogs for dinner, helped out at a hostel to have a place to sleep at night, and was an emotional mess, heartbroken and such but I pushed through and found strength. I ended up being able to stay with several distant relatives until I left, but during that week I was 18, alone, broke, in a non English speaking country and had to find a few odd jobs and fend for myself. I also had to figure out what I was going to do and where I was going to go. I looked to change my flight but it was going to be so expensive and because I didn't have the money I wasn't going to be asking for my parents to pay for it.

But I did what I needed to do, stayed safe, and had to go through a ton of stuff but learned a lot. Is that a bad example to use because I was irresponsible to leave the house?
 
LizzyM said:
How do you roll with the punches? You are going to get knocked down in medical school? What are your coping skills? Do you go in your room, close the door and cry? Do you complain to your roommate? Do you call your parents and ask them to make things better? How do you solve your problems? Inquiring minds want to know.
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I do all of the above.
 
Ashley1989 said:
Im so glad that you posted this, I always thought of it as long term difficulties, never short term. Could you use several examples if they are short examples? What about if they were as a result of our irresponsibility, is it okay to use that example as long as we show that we made it right and coped?

I'm thinking specifically when I turned 18 I spent a month backpacking through Europe with my friend, and the second month I was going to stay with my then boyfriend who was an exchange student in a certain non english speaking European country. A week into my month stay we got into a huge fight and he became very aggressive so I dumped a majority of my belongings in a dumpster, took what I could easily carry, got on a train, and left. I then spent the next week in a city on the opposite side of the country, walked people's dogs for dinner, helped out at a hostel to have a place to sleep at night, and was an emotional mess, heartbroken and such but I pushed through and found strength. I ended up being able to stay with several distant relatives until I left, but during that week I was 18, alone, broke, in a non English speaking country and had to find a few odd jobs and fend for myself. I also had to figure out what I was going to do and where I was going to go. I looked to change my flight but it was going to be so expensive and because I didn't have the money I wasn't going to be asking for my parents to pay for it.

But I did what I needed to do, stayed safe, and had to go through a ton of stuff but learned a lot. Is that a bad example to use because I was irresponsible to leave the house?
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If a boyfriend is acting out, it is not irresponsible to leave the house; it is smart! I think that an adcom would admire your resourcefulness. :thumbup:
 
LizzyM said:
If a boyfriend is acting out, it is not irresponsible to leave the house; it is smart! I think that an adcom would admire your resourcefulness. :thumbup:
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Thank you very much, this has all been so helpful to me I appreciate it :)
 
LizzyM said:
Coping skills, people!

Think short term challenges or difficulties.

Have you ever had your mode of transportation (car, bike, knees) break down and need to scramble to do get things fixed and get around to places you needed to be?

Have you been the object of a pickpocket and need to replace all your ID's? How did you prioritize and get through it. Double points if it happened in a country where you don't speak the language. ;)

Ever have a very difficult roommate situation? (I knew someone when I was in school who had a roommate who insisted on sleeping with all the lights on!)

Ever have a friend who needed but refused to seek care for a physical or psychiatric problem? What coping skills did you use to deal with the situation?

Ever get a phone call that a loved one was in the ICU? What coping skills did you use to get through the next few days/weeks?
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Thank you so much for this. This post was really enlightening on what they ment as a "challenge". I thought it was more about a BIG challenge you had and what you did to accomplish/get through it.
 
nabilesmail said:
Thank you so much for this. This post was really enlightening on what they ment as a "challenge". I thought it was more about a BIG challenge you had and what you did to accomplish/get through it.
Click to expand...

Don't take this to an extreme. I nearly pissed myself laughing at an essay of at least 500 words about the coping skills, decision making and actions taken to avoid backending a vehicle that stopped suddenly in front of the applicant while he was driving. He claims he weighed his options including turning into oncoming traffic before shouting to alert the passengers and then placing his foot on the brake pedal and applying firm pressure until the car came to a halt. I can imagine the excitement with which this guy will describe stopping the bleeding that can occur after an IV is removed.
 
LizzyM said:
How do you roll with the punches? You are going to get knocked down in medical school. What are your coping skills? Do you go in your room, close the door and cry? Do you complain to your roommate? Do you call your parents and ask them to make things better? How do you solve your problems? Inquiring minds want to know.
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How is this? Am I on the right track with this?

The prompt is "What is the biggest challenge you have faced and how did you handle it? In retrospect, what would you, or could you have done differently?

Ok, so here is my last idea. This probably was the most difficult challenge I've faced recently.

Toward the end of college and right after I graduated I had case of burnout/depression. I had basically put a ton of pressure on myself and felt like I had to do so much to prove myself. I did not decide to pursue medical school until my junior year and I was behind the people that had been working toward it since freshman year. But even after I got caught up with grades, clinical experience, ect. I just kept pushing myself harder and harder to the point that I was neglecting my own needs and personal relationship. Then I just hit a point where I was very depressed. This is when I sought help from a psychologist because I knew I would be able to solve the problem much faster and effectively with the help of a trained profession.

To help overcome me putting so much pressure on myself we worked on self-acceptance and having positive self-talks and positive self-affirmations when any negative thoughts that put unnecessary pressure on myself arose. I also learned some new stress management techniques. I tried yoga, qi gong, meditation, and deep breathing. I learned to set aside time each day to relax and unwind and the importance of diet, exercise, sleep, and maintaining good relationships with friends and family in stress prevention.

In retrospect I would have sought help sooner when I started to feel like there might be a problem. Now that I have been through this once before I feel that I am much more prepared to prevent it in the future and will be able to recognize the warning signs and take action and seek help to prevent it from happening again.

Will this be looked at positively and show that I am more prepared to deal with challenges in med school? Or would some adcoms think if I got burnt out in college I won't be able to hack it in med school?
 
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Personally, I would be absolutely loathe to mention both depression AND cracking under academic stress on a med school application (especially since both happened within the last year before your applying).
 
NightGod said:
Personally, I would be absolutely loathe to mention both depression AND cracking under academic stress on a med school application (especially since both happened within the last year before your applying).
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Was thinking the same thing when I was reading it.. You shouldn't mention or imply that you suffered from depression. There's a lot of negative stigma attached to it still.

Also, writing: " I did not decide to pursue medical school until my junior year and I was behind the people that had been working toward it since freshman year. But even after I got caught up with grades, clinical experience, " might give off the impression that you're a box checker (that you did clinical experiences only because it was necessary and not because you wanted to learn more about the field/confirm your interest, etc.).
 
Thank you for the feedback, it has been very helpful. I am just at a loss of what to write about. Seem like everything can be interpreted in a negative way.

LizzyM said they want to see your coping skills and how deal with problems. I had a problem, realized it, got help, figured out how to solve, and will be able to recognize and deal with any similar problem in the future much better that I would if I had not had the problem. Can’t that be seen as a positive? Don’t they want people that are prepared to deal with challenges in medical school? I would guess that there are quite a few med students that put a lot of unnecessary pressure on themselves and don’t have good ways a relieving stress. Wouldn’t it be considered a good thing to know how to deal with it?

LizzуM, could we get your opinion on this?
 
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AO2010 said:
Thank you for the feedback, it has been very helpful. I am just at a loss of what to write about. Seem like everything can be interpreted in a negative way.

LizzyM said they want to see your coping skills and how deal with problems. I had a problem, realized it, got help, figured out how to solve, and will be able to recognize and deal with any similar problem in the future much better that I would if I had not had the problem. Can’t that be seen as a positive? Don’t they want people that are prepared to deal with challenges in medical school? I would guess that there are quite a few med students that put a lot of unnecessary pressure on themselves and don’t have good ways a relieving stress. Wouldn’t it be considered a good thing to know how to deal with it?

LizzуM, could we get your opinion on this?
Click to expand...

So your problem was that you worked yourself to the verge of nervous breakdown? OK, so you had the good sense to reach out for help and made some behavior changes and developed some new habits but working to the point of mental/emotional/physical collapse is not seen as a good problem.

Have you had a very short term problem, perhaps one that required coordinating the work of other people on your team with a disagreement on how to get the work done or how to manage deadlines? Ever have to negotiate a truce between/among roommates or cope with a friend who needed your help with a difficulty? Coping with an injury or with a sick relative is a popular topic. Tutoring or working with kids who don't "get it" easily and having to find new strategies to help them understand the material is another good one.

tl;dr mental illness is the third rail. Avoid touching it at all cost.
 
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LizzyM said:
So your problem was that you worked yourself to the verge of nervous breakdown? OK, so you had the good sense to reach out for help and made some behavior changes and developed some new habits but working to the point of mental/emotional/physical collapse is not seen as a good problem.

Have you had a very short term problem, perhaps one that required coordinating the work of other people on your team with a disagreement on how to get the work done or how to manage deadlines? Ever have to negotiate a truce between/among roommates or cope with a friend who needed your help with a difficulty? Coping with an injury or with a sick relative is a popular topic. Tutoring or working with kids who don't "get it" easily and having to find new strategies to help them understand the material is another good one.

tl;dr mental illness is the third rail. Avoid touching it at all cost.
Click to expand...

Does it matter if the prompt says "biggest challenge you have face" instead of just "a challenge you have faced" disagreement with teams, dealing with arguing roommate, and tutoring kids who don't get it are all challenges. But I have faced things that are much more challenging, they just happen to be the "third rail". Does the wording of the prompt make a big difference in how it should be answered?
 
LizzyM said:
:eek: Could it be a way of weeding out people who have (or have had) big problems?
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Hadn't thought about that. I guess that it could be. Maybe I'll just try to put something together about trying to help my grandma who has a bit of a problem with prescription drugs. She's been an ongoing challenge for quite a while now. This seems a little safer than my other ideas.
 
AO2010 said:
Hadn't thought about that. I guess that it could be. Maybe I'll just try to put something together about trying to help my grandma who has a bit of a problem with prescription drugs. She's been an ongoing challenge for quite a while now. This seems a little safer than my other ideas.
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Still seems to me that you're pushing a little hard here. Lizzy seemed to say that adcoms are looking for "grace under pressure" type vignettes and you're aiming for "lengthy battle against adversity" epic stories. This thread has been very eye-opening to me, Lizzy's responses have gone a long way towards changing my thinking about how I'll eventually answer this question (I'm a couple of years out from worrying about any actual writing, but I'll be keeping this in mind when the time comes).
 
So who thinks I should include the following thing as most challenging!

During the morning of my prom, my sister recommended me to get my eyebrows cleaned up a little. I hesitantly agreed, she took me to a salon and they PWNED MY EYEBROWS INTO CHICKEYEBROWS WTF, like seriously, I had girls complementing me saying my eyebrows were more perfect then theirs! But, I just upped my confidence and made jokes of it and all was well. Tux + chick eyebrows !
 
bump lol seriously considerin g this topic, I even wrote the essay already for UCI secondary, just need confirmation about it!
 
nabilesmail said:
So who thinks I should include the following thing as most challenging!

During the morning of my prom, my sister recommended me to get my eyebrows cleaned up a little. I hesitantly agreed, she took me to a salon and they PWNED MY EYEBROWS INTO CHICKEYEBROWS WTF, like seriously, I had girls complementing me saying my eyebrows were more perfect then theirs! But, I just upped my confidence and made jokes of it and all was well. Tux + chick eyebrows !
Click to expand...

pictures or it didn't happen.

:D
 
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